Reading Fluency Assessment and Instruction: What, Why, and How?

Abstract

This article explains the elements of reading fluency and ways to assess and teach them. Fluent reading has three elements: accurate reading of connected text, at a conversational rate with appropriate prosody. Word reading accuracy refers to the ability to recognize or decode words correctly. Reading rate refers to both word‐level automaticity and speed in reading text. Prosodic features are variations in pitch, stress patterns, and duration that contribute to expressive reading of a text. To assess reading fluency, including all its aspects, teachers listen to students read aloud. Students' accuracy can be measured by listening to oral reading and counting the number of errors per 100 words or a running record. Measuring reading rate includes both word‐reading automaticity and speed in reading connected text using tests of sight‐word knowledge and timed readings. A student's reading prosody can be measured using a checklist while listening to the student. To provide instruction in rate and accuracy, variations on the repeated readings technique are useful. To develop prosody, readers can listen to fluent models and engage in activities focused on expression and meaning. Opportunities to develop all areas of reading fluency are important for all readers, but especially for those who struggle.

A Structural Equation Model to Explain the Effect of Fluent Reading, Literal Comprehension and Inferential Comprehension Levels of Elementary School 4th Grade Students on Success in Problem Solving

“…Logan (1997) kelime tanıma düzeyinin arttırılması için tekrarlı okumanın önemine değinmiş, öğrencinin zor okuduğu bir kelimeyle daha sonra karşılaştığında kelimeyi daha kolay okuduğunu bir başka ifadeyle kelimeyi tanıdığını belirtmiştir. Ehri ve McCormick (1998), Hudson, Lane ve Pullen (2005) tarafından yapılan çalışmalarda kelime tanıma (doğru okuma) düzeyinin otomatikleşmeyi (okuma hızını) etkilediği belirlenmiştir. Baştuğ ve Keskin (2012) tarafından yapılan çalışmada kelime tanımanın basit anlama ile .46, çıkarımsal anlama ile .56 düzeyinde ilişkili olduğu bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır.…”

Relationship between Oral Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension among ESL Students

“…It refers to the speed and fluidity in which a reader moves through connected text (Hudson, Lane & Pullen, 2005). According to Courbron (2012), reading with appropriate speed is an indication that the reader has a functional working memory, able to chunk the words together, and can comprehend the words read.…”

Fluência e compreensão da leitura em escolares do 3º ao 5º ano do ensino fundamental

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